Justin wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he continued pushing boxes around in the attic. Even though it was nearly winter it was excruciatingly hot up there and he wasn’t helping things by working so hard. Still, he had to go through all of the junk the previous owners had left behind to make room for his and Brian’s things.

He wanted to surprise Brian with it all done by the time he got back from his business trip – he knew the man had been dreading it and really it was the least he could do after Brian bought the manor for them. He’d already managed to clear out the front half and had a good selection to give or sell so he was pleased with his progress.

He scanned the remaining piles of junk and then turned and surveyed the cleared area with a pleased smile. “I need a break.” He announced in the empty attic. “And a fan.” He added as he wiped at his forehead again.

He started walking to the lowered staircase to leave the attic until a chill suddenly went up his spine. He stilled and then laughed a bit before continuing to the stairs again.

“Justin…”

He stopped once more and turned to look around the attic. It looked the same as always. But now the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He gave a shiver as the chill persisted, and then walked deeper into the attic towards the area he hadn’t tackled yet.

“Justin…”

He furrowed his brow in confusion and apprehension. “Bri?” He asked carefully – perhaps he had come home early and was waiting for a chance to surprise him. No one answered.

He stepped over a low ottoman and passed a tall pile of boxes. Once on the other side he saw what used to be a white sheet, but was now covered in so many webs and dust that it looked gray. He couldn’t recognize the form of whatever it was covering, so he slowly reached out and took a hold of the fabric.

“Justin.”

He hesitated. It almost sounded as if the voice was coming from the sheet. He let go of it and took a step away as his apprehension began to turn to fear. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach and it only continued to get stronger and stronger the longer he stayed there. He began breathing faster and faster.

Something wasn’t right.

He had to get away.

“Justin!”

He spun to flee from the attic and ended up tripping over the boxes, sending them toppling to the ground. He heard loud thumps and he knew that something was going to reach out to grab him. He pushed himself up and raced for the stairs, only to hit something warm and solid. He and whatever it was he hit ended up tumbling down the stairs until they landed in the hallway below.

“God Justin! What the hell is going on?”

Justin, sore but unhurt, paused when he realized that he recognized the voice. “Michael?” He asked carefully and turned to find that the warm and solid body was in fact his friend.

“Yeah, who did you think it was?” Michael scooted over to the wall where he rubbed his head and grimaced.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” Justin ignored his question and demanded as he struggled to catch his breath. The adrenaline was going away, but he was still slightly panicked.

“Ma gave me food to give to you and Bri while you’re moving in. I heard you upstairs and was calling you but you never answered.” Michael explained and Justin frowned as he blinked a few times.

“You were calling me.”   Justin repeated slowly and then nodded. “Of course.” He laughed a bit, realizing how silly he’d been acting. “Are you ok?” He asked as he looked over at the man and Michael just smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. How do you like it here?” Michael asked as they stood and started walking downstairs to the kitchen. Justin began putting the tuber-ware filled food into the fridge with Michael’s help.

“It’s great. Amazing, actually. When I went to New York I assumed that Brian sold it. So when I finally came back home and he brought me here I was…Well, let’s just say it was one of Brian’s best surprises.” Justin commented with a red tinge to his cheeks.

“He always did them big, didn’t he?” Michael joked as he eyed the expansive kitchen.

Justin glanced around as well with a broad smile and nodded. “Yeah. He does.” He said contently and then motioned to a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge. “Want some?” He offered and Michael shook his head.

“Naw. I got to get going. Just came over to drop those off and see the place.” Michael declined and turned to leave. Justin followed him to the door.

“Alright. Have a safe drive back – and tell Deb thanks for me.” He gave Michael a brief hug and then he left. When he was alone in the house once more he felt the feeling in his stomach slowly creep back.

His smile faded and he looked up the stairs. He felt like he was being watched.

He then rolled his eyes at himself and walked back to the kitchen where he got himself a glass of wine and laughed at his own superstition.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was a loud thump that woke him. He jumped awake and shot up from the bed to look around him. He scanned the room but it was too dark to make out anything, so he leaned over and flipped on the switch of his lamp. He then looked around again and there was still nothing. He shook his head slowly and laid back on the pillow as he put a hand to his forehead.

“God you are so pathetic.” He told himself in a soft voice. “Getting all paranoid since Brian isn’t here.” He rolled over onto his side, keeping the light on, and surveyed the empty half of the bed. Ironically, even though he moved in a week before, he and Brian hadn’t actually shared it yet. As soon as he came back home, Brian had to take a last minute trip to Florida to stop a client from jumping ship.

He reached out and touched the cold sheets with a wistful smile. “One more day, Justin. One more day.” He repeated to himself and then shifted until he was comfortable again and closed his eyes tried to get back to sleep.

But then he heard it again.

Immediately his eyes shot open and he looked up to the ceiling where the thump had come from.

He slowly sat up and kept his eyes trained up above him. He actually jumped when he heard it again – and then a loud clang followed immediately after, as if something shattered.

He kicked the covers off and darted out of the room in only his boxers. Justin looked down the dark hallway to the even darker outline of the attic stairs protruding from the ceiling. He reached down the hall and found the light switch then flicked it on. He jumped as it almost appeared as if a shadow had darted up into the attic just as he turned them on.

He tightened his gaze and the wrapped his arms around his bare chest before moving closer to the stairs. He stopped abruptly when the lights suddenly tuned off. He turned back, reached for the switch, and toggled it on and off a few times but nothing happened.

Justin wasn’t deterred and he continued onward to the stairs. He walked up them slowly and carefully, his hands reaching up for the hole in the ceiling and used it to steady himself as he got to the top. He reached blindly for the long strand that turned on the attic light, but he couldn’t find it.

Then, something ran past him.

He gasped and turned, but in the darkness he couldn’t tell what it was.

It ran behind him again.

He spun again and tried to see in the darkness but there was no hope.

“Who is it?!” He demanded angrily.

Again, it darted behind him. This time it was so close that he could feel the air rush by him. He spun so quickly that he ended up tripping over his feet. He fell onto the rough wood of the attic and scrambled backwards, trying to get to the stairs as his heart pounded in his chest.

Something grabbed his ankle and dragged him back.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

“No!”

Justin sat up screaming and reaching out for the air in front of him. When he realized that he was in bed and had been dreaming he panted a few times to collect himself. That was when he realized that his phone was ringing.

He slowly looked over at the nightstand and saw it moving slightly as it vibrated and rang. He reached out and flipped it open, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he did so. “Hello?” He asked slowly, his voice cracking from sleep.

“Did I wake you up? Shit, Sunshine – it’s nearly noon.”

‘Brian.’ Justin thought with an immense sense of relief. “I guess I needed to sleep.” He commented, but was surprised because he didn’t remember going to sleep at all. “How’s it going? Getting all packed up?” Justin asked as he leaned back against the headboard and drew his knees up.

“Yeah, Justin…About that…”

Justin could hear the regret in Brian’s voice and knew exactly what was coming next.

“I have to stay here a few more days.” He finished and Justin sighed and frowned. “I know, I’m sorry.” Brian continued. “But they’re just not budging, and I have to keep them. No one’s ever left Kinnetik and I’m not going to let that start happening now.”

“No, its fine, Bri. I get it. I do.” Justin answered honestly. “So when do you think you’ll be done?” He asked as he struggled to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

 “I’m not sure. Just a few more days I hope. I’ll call you as soon as I know more.” Brian assured and Justin nodded a few times sadly.

“Alright. Good luck.” He wished and then added swiftly, “I love you.”

There was a pause on the other end, but Justin knew it was because Brian was smiling. “You too, Sunshine.”

They hung up and Justin sighed heavily. Another few days on his own – it wasn’t the worst thing. Though he missed Brian dearly and wished his homecoming had been a bit more romantic, he knew how important this was to his husband. He slowly put the phone back on the nightstand and slid off the bed.

As soon as he hung up he thought back to the nightmare he’d been having. It had felt so real – which wasn’t typical for him. Though there had been a brief period of time right after Hobbs had attacked him that all of his nightmares had felt real, that faded away less than a year after the incident. He looked to the door and walked there determinedly. He pulled it open and then looked down the hallway.

He gasped.

The stairs to the attic were still lowered even though he distinctly remembered putting them up after he finished working for the day. He frowned and walked over to them and swiftly put them up. There was a low clang as they connected with the ceiling but he didn’t care.

He looked up at it for a moment and then went downstairs to make some food. He was midway through making a sandwich when a loud clang made him jump. He looked up slowly and knew immediately what it was.

“What the hell is going on?” He demanded angrily before wiping his hands clean and going back upstairs. Sure enough the stairs to the attic were back down. He scowled.

Justin moved swiftly to the stairs and stomped up them with determination. He tugged on the light strand and surveyed the attic. He placed his hands on his hips and frowned when he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was just how he left it the day before.

He remained still for some time, deciding to give the stillness and quiet a chance to reveal something. He was sure he stayed completely motionless for five minutes. Nothing happened. He was disappointed in himself more than anything, and he knew that he was letting his imagination get the best of him. If Brian were there he would tell him he was acting ridiculous. “The joints on the stairs must need to be changed.” He realized and mentally added that to the list of things that the house needed done.

He turned back to the stairs to examine them and came to a stop. His stomach clenched, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he shivered as something seemed to be in the attic with him. His breathing was shaky and his hands clenched at his sides as he struggled to maintain his composure.

He felt a breath on his neck.

He spun, but saw only the emptiness. His heart was pounding and his hands began to feel clammy. There was something there with him. He didn’t know what, but he wasn’t alone.

He scanned the items remaining in the attic and they fell on the white cloaked object he’d been intrigued by the day before. He felt drawn to it – as if it was calling to him.

Justin stepped closer to it slowly. He moved carefully, keeping still after each step in order to remain alert and aware. However, step after step brought him closer and closer until he was standing just in front of it. The pit in his stomach grew heavier and heavier. Part of him was yelling at him to run, but a much stronger part was determined to get to the bottom of this once and for all.

He ignored his body’s instincts and tore the cover from the object.

Before him, stood a tall mirror, standing on ornate legs and surrounded by intricately carved wood. It was an antique, and one that looked that it’d be of great value even to his untrained eye. It was beautiful, and the image in the glass was crystal clear.

He saw himself standing there and looked at his reflection for a moment. He seemed…off.

He turned his head to the side slowly, and it looked as if there was a split second of hesitation in the reflection. It was eerie and wrong.

He reached out to touch the mirror, but hesitated. His fingers hovered over the glass and he continued to stare hard at his reflection. After a moment, he took his hand away and shook his head.

Suddenly, his reflection in the mirror frowned and a low roar filled his ears. He took a frightened step back away from the mirror but was suddenly thrown backwards.

He felt something heavy press down on his chest and he struggled to breathe.

“You’re mine!”

That was the last thing he heard before his world went black.

Brian struggled to open the door as he balanced a suitcase in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. He stumbled through the garage door and then kicked it shut behind him with a loud bang. “Justin?” He called out loudly once he was inside. He set the flowers on the island in the kitchen and carried his bag to the base of the stairs.

When he didn’t immediately hear an answer he frowned a bit and glanced into the nearby living room. “Sunshine?!” He called again, this time louder. There was still no reply.

He flipped on a few lights and walked down the hallway to Justin’s studio. He opened the door just a bit to poke his head inside but didn’t see Justin working. He turned back and frowned deeper. The car was in the garage, so he knew Justin was home.

He walked back to the stairs and picked up his bag as he went up them. He made his way to the master bedroom and paused when he saw the stairs to the attic had been lowered. “Justin!!” He shouted, but there was still nothing.

He craned his neck up to the attic but it was pitch black. Shaking his head, he went to their bedroom. He opened up the door slowly and felt relieved when he saw Justin in the bathroom, staring into his reflection. “Hey!  I was calling you, why didn’t you answer?”  He asked, but received no answer from his husband.

“Justin?” He asked as he tossed his bag on the bed and walked into the bathroom.  He held onto Justin from behind and looked into his reflect as well.  “What’re you staring at?”  He asked, admittedly a little disappointed about Justin’s lack of welcome.  “Look I came back as soon as I could, Sunshine.”

“I know.” Justin suddenly said and turned slowly to hold him back.  “I didn’t hear you calling me.  Sorry.”  He said softly and Brian shrugged it off.

“It’s alright. I was just worried, that’s all.”  He admitted and placed his hands on either side of Justin’s face to give him a deep, penetrating kiss.  “I missed you.”  He murmured against Justin’s lips and smiled when Justin sighed contently.

“I missed you too. But you’re back now.”  Justin whispered and kissed him again.  “How did it go?”

“Great. I got him to stay.  My record is intact.”  Brian said confidently and then backed away a bit so he could look at Justin better.  “Come on, I’m starving.”  He said and grabbed Justin’s hand to begin walking him downstairs.

“I got back as soon as I could, I wanted to surprise you.” Brian said as he and Justin walked downstairs to the kitchen. “And then I-.” He paused as he rounded into the kitchen and saw that the flowers he had bought were on the floor. He furrowed his brow in confusion and bent over to pick them up. ‘Odd. I know I put them on the counter.’ He thought and then turned and held them out to Justin as he walked in as well. “I stopped for these.” He finished and smiled when he saw Justin’s face light up.

“Really?” Justin asked and then greedily reached out and took them. Brian watched as Justin closed his eyes and took a long breath to take in the scent of the flowers. He smiled, glad to know that he’d been the one to make Justin so happy. “You know, Bri…I think marriage suits you.”  He claimed as he got a vase to put the flowers in which he swiftly filled with water.

Brian let out a soft laugh and rolled his eyes. “Yeah well don’t get used to it.” He cautioned before moving to the fridge to tug it open. He grabbed a beer from inside and then handed it to Justin before getting his own. “How have you been entertaining yourself while I’ve been gone?” He asked curiously and watched Justin give a shrug as he continued to gaze adoringly at the flowers.

“Working in the attic, mostly. Found a few cool things up there.” Justin said as he took the beer and then took a long drink from it.

There was a shatter and both men jerked to the counter. The vase was gone. Brian walked around the island and looked down to see that the vase had fallen onto the ground. The water was pooling around and he was careful not to get too close so he didn’t step on glass. “Shit. That was weird…” He murmured slowly.

“I must have bumped it. Sorry.” Justin said swiftly as he came over with towels to start mopping up the water. He also grabbed the damp flowers and set them on the island once more.

“But you were already over by the fridge.” Brian pointed out slowly and Justin shrugged.

“Well it couldn’t have fallen over by itself.” Justin responded and Brian nodded in agreement.

“Obviously…” He murmured, but something didn’t feel right. He walked over to the pantry and pulled out the broom to begin sweeping up the glass.

That wasn’t the first weird thing Brian noticed the next week. It seemed like he was misplacing things all the time. He was nearly an hour late for work because one morning his keys weren’t in his coat where he always left them. Another night he wasted two hours that he was supposed to read over some new contracts because he thought he’d left them on his desk but found them instead on the living room coffee table.

Not only were these instances strange, but they baffled him because he couldn’t explain them. He was finding things in places he would never put them. He never worked in the living room – that was his and Justin’s space for relaxing and he refused to bring work there. He also always kept his keys in his coat pocket so they were right there when he left in the morning.

He noticed that his clothes seemed to be rearranged in the closet almost every day. He was meticulous when it came to his designer suits. He had them arranged by color and season but when he would enter his closet each morning they were seemingly haphazard. He had accused Justin of messing up his things but his husband had adamantly denied it and after a small fight Brian had believed him. Though it still didn’t explain why his things were going all over the place.

The strangest thing of all seemed to be Justin.

Brian wasn’t able to put his finger on it, but Justin was different somehow. His eyes seemed more distant; Justin had looked at him with open adoration since the night they met and that look had never faded – until now. Not only that, but he acted different. It was as if Brian couldn’t predict him anymore.

He knew there was going to be a learning curve. Justin had been in New York for over a year and they needed time to get used to each other again. He didn’t think it was going to be this bad though. Justin didn’t laugh at old inside jokes. He didn’t talk about the same things. He didn’t even seem to enjoy cooking anymore.

Brian wasn’t going to actually ask that Justin cook for the both of them – that’d hardly be a fair expectation just because Justin worked from home.  But he had always enjoyed Justin’s cooking and worried that he was going to have to live off of take-out for the rest of his life.

At the end of the day, Justin was just different enough to be strange, but not too much to be out of character. It was some kind of awkward limbo where he didn’t know how to act around his own husband and he hated it.

Justin was locked away in his studio one night a little over a week after he got back from his trip and he was looking over some concepts that he hadn’t had time to finish in the office. Around eight he decided to take a break and he walked downstairs and knocked on the studio door. He never entered without permission, especially not when Justin was working.

There was no answer, however, so he knocked louder. “Justin?”

“I’m working!” Was all he got in reply.

Brian frowned a little but turned to leave him in peace. He walked into the living room to watch some TV but came to an abrupt halt when he saw the files he was just working on upstairs in his office laying the table. He scanned the room and then approached it slowly. He lifted up the files and looked at them carefully to make sure they were the same, and when he found that they were he slammed them back down on the table and frowned deeply.

Then, the lights in the room switched off. He jumped and blinked at the sudden darkness. “What the-?” They flickered back on and with them the TV.

Brian slowly turned to face it and gasped when he saw The Yellow Submarine playing; he’d seen the movie hundreds of times and recognized it instantly. Carefully he reached out for the remote from the side table and tried flicking through the channels, but it stayed the same. He flicked through them faster and faster, but it didn’t change.

He closed his eyes and shook his head swiftly, trying to clear his thoughts. When he opened his eyes again saw the TV was now on a news station. He let the remote fall to the floor as he pressed his hand to his forehead and laughed at himself. Slowly he sat on the couch and looked over at the TV for a long moment.

“Brian…”

He jumped as he felt a breath on the back of his neck. He spun around and gasped.

There was nothing there.

After he let out a long breath he laughed at himself. “Get a hold of yourself, Kinney.”  He murmured and leaned back against the soft couch.  He closed his eyes and breathed slowly in and out of his nose.

He blocked out the noise of the television and just relaxed. He felt his body get heavier and heavier as he began falling asleep.

Suddenly he was in the attic. It was dark and he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Everything looked hazy – as if it was covered in fog. However, he could still see clearly. He stepped forward and through the darkness and the fog made out a familiar figure.

Justin was standing in the back corner of the attic, staring into a mirror intently. He tried to call out to him, but he found he had no voice. When he tried to step closer, he found he could no longer move. He was trapped, forced to watch whatever happened next.

Justin reached a hand up to the mirror, but hesitated. His fingers hovered over the glass and he continued to stare hard at his reflection. After a moment, he took his hand away and shook his head.

Brian watched in shock as his reflection in the mirror frowned at him, his face distorting even as Justin’s remained the same. He could see the panic begin to build in his husband and he stumbled backwards – no. He flew backwards.

Something pushed him.

Brian tried to move, he tried to break free of the invisible bonds but he couldn’t! No matter how hard he struggled he was forced to remain still. He watched Justin struggle and fight, it seemed as if Justin was having trouble breathing. Then, a strange, almost inhuman, disembodied voice, echoed in the attic.

“You’re mine!”

“Brian! Brian, help me!  Brian!”

He gasped and shot up, immediately running back to the studio. He tried to open the door but found it locked.  He jerked at it and pounded on the door.  “Justin!  Open up!”  He demanded as he continued to try and force his way in.  He heard nothing on the other side so continued calling out for his husband and then began to try and shoulder his way into the studio.

He ignored the pain and leaned back for one more go but as soon as he tried to ram his way in the door opened up and he nearly toppled Justin to the floor before he was able to stop himself. “Shit, Sunshine!  Are you ok?”  He demanded as he took Justin in his hands began looking him over.

“Yeah I’m fine.” Justin seemed a little perturbed by the attention and stiffened before shuffling out of the room and closing the door behind him.  “What the fuck were you banging on the door for?”

“Then why did you call for me?” Brian demanded and ignored Justin’s question.  Now he was angry that Justin had played some kind of trick on him.

“I didn’t. I’ve been painting for hours.”  Justin explained and looked up at Brian intently.  “Are you ok?”  He asked and pressed a hand to his forehead.  Brian pushed it away with a frown.

“I heard you screaming. You were calling for help.”  Brian insisted and then saw a flash of something cross Justin’s eyes.  It was gone so fast he couldn’t figure out what it was and almost thought he’d imagined it.

“You must have been dreaming.” Justin said as he patted his cheek.  “Though it’s sweet you’d come race to my rescue.”  Justin added with a smile and then leaned up to press a kiss against his lips.  “I’m all done.  I was going to go shower.  Want to join me?”  Justin winked playfully and then grabbed Brian’s hand and began walking him up the stairs.

Brian followed him with a smile as he began to calm down. Justin was right, he had probably been dreaming.

That night, Brian woke because he was cold.

He rolled onto his side and grabbed for the blankets, finding that he must have kicked them off at one point in the night. He pulled them back up and then, because he needed a bit of reassurance after his earlier scare, he glanced over to check on Justin.  He was on the other side of the bed and sleeping peacefully.

So, Brian adjusted until he was comfortable again and tried to go back to sleep.

Except something tore the blankets off of him.

His eyes snapped open and he looked around, but in the dark room it was impossible to see anything. He shook his head slowly and drew the blankets back up.  Before he could even lay back down they were thrown off of him again.

His heart skipped a beat.

“What the fuck?” He asked aloud and turned back to Justin once more, but he was still sound asleep.

Brian ran a hand through his hair and grabbed the blankets and laid down as he pulled them up. Once again, they were jerked away. He stood up then and looked around the room. Something was going on.  He didn’t know what, or why, but he was going to get to the bottom of it.

When the door to the bedroom opened by itself he blinked several times and took a shaky breath. “Holy shit…”  He whispered in shock.

He slowly stepped forward and looked back at Justin once or twice as he walked away. He didn’t believe in supernatural events, but there was something definitely happening here and he wasn’t sure if leaving Justin alone was the best idea.  On the other hand…he didn’t feel threatened by anything.  He’d always heard that people could feel whether a spirit was malicious or not, and he didn’t feel as if he was about to be attacked.  So, he continued on.

He turned back to the door and continued to stare at it as he waited for something else to happen. The light flicked on in the hallway and he covered his mouth quickly.  He then calmed himself down and walked out to the hallway.  To his right, deeper in the house, a door opened.  He walked towards it, but then the next door opened, and the next all the way to the end of the hallway. 

He followed the pathway being shown to him until he reached the end of the hallway. Then he heard a soft thunk over his head and looked up.  He stepped aside just as the steps to the attic lowered for him.  The light turned on up there as well and Brian shook his head in disbelief.  “I have to be dreaming…”  He murmured, but started up the steps anyways.

When he got to the top of the steps he surveyed the attic. Much of it was cleared away, save for the back half of it, so he was able to see a lot of the space.  There didn’t seem to be any signs for him to follow, until three boxes that were stacked up on each other toppled onto the floor.  Brian walked towards them and reached out to move them aside when something suddenly grabbed his arm.

He cried out and spun around, pushing away from whatever grabbed him.

“Shit Brian! What was that for?”  Justin asked in annoyance as he rubbed his head.

“Shit…” Brian muttered and then moved to kneel by him.  He felt his head a bit and examined it.  “Are you alright?  Did you hit your head?”  He asked swiftly and with concern.

“No, I’m ok. What are you doing up here?  It’s the middle of the night.”  He asked slowly and accepted Brian’s hand to help him stand up.

“I just…” Brian paused and glanced back to the boxes – they were stacked on top of each other again.  He furrowed his brow and slowly shook his head.  “I must have been sleep walking.”  He said slowly and then put his arm around Justin’s shoulder and walked him back down the rickety attic stairs.

“Well come back to bed. I’ve almost got everything up here cleared out.  Then we can do whatever we want with it.”  Justin chatted as they walked back to the room.  “But don’t worry about that.  I can take care of everything up there.  You just relax.”

“Yeah. Ok.  Thanks.”  Brian murmured as he laid back on the bed and pulled the blankets up once more.  Justin rolled over and laid his head on his shoulder, so he held his husband close and went back to sleep.

“God not again…Justin!  Have you seen my keys?!”  He called down the hallway towards the studio.  Justin had gotten an early start that morning, even beating Brian out of bed.  He’d put on his coat and prepared to leave for work but found that his keys weren’t in his pocket – again.

“Check the kitchen counter!” Came the hollered reply.

Brian sighed and set his briefcase down by the door and walked into the kitchen. Sure enough, the keys were on the counter.  He shook his head and tried to remember putting them there, but he couldn’t.  Getting frustrated, he reached out for the keys but just as he was about to grab them they flew off the counter.

He straightened and scowled. “Listen here, I’m getting tired of this shit.  I don’t care who you are or what you want.  Leave me the fuck alone.”

He felt silly talking to himself, but no matter how many times he told himself ghosts didn’t exist, he couldn’t explain what was happening any other way. ‘Maybe I should talk to Justin.’ He thought, wondering if he might think he was crazy.  But there was a chance Justin had experienced something too.  Maybe he wasn’t crazy…

He walked to the other side of the counter and picked his keys up from the floor. He then turned to leave the kitchen, but the kitchen door slammed shut.  He tried the handle, but it was locked – which was strange seeing as it didn’t have a lock.  He pushed and pushed against the door and finally it gave way.

He fell into the hallway and stalked immediately back to the front door to leave for work, but stopped when he saw that his briefcase was open and all of his files were strewn over the floor. The most unnerving bit, however, was that they were moved in a way that said ‘HELP ME’.

Brian slowly backed up before spinning around and stalking down to the studio. He knocked on the door loudly.  “Justin!  Come here!”  He demanded, determined to find out if Justin had any idea what was going on.  He didn’t care how crazy he sounded.

A few seconds later the door opened and Justin appeared with a confused look on his face. Brian grabbed his wrist and began tugging him down the hall.  “Brian, what’s going on?”  He asked fearfully.

“Look at this.”   Brian ordered and pointed to the floor when they got back to the front door.  He searched Justin’s face for a reaction, but his husband seemed confused more than anything.  He looked down at the floor then and saw that all the papers were gone.  “No…I…”  He blinked and then knelt and opened up his briefcase to see all of his files neatly in there, just where he left them.  “These were spread all over the floor.”  He explained slowly, but Justin continued to give him that confused, and slightly worried, look.

“Justin I swear!” He insisted and stood back up, holding the files in Justin’s face.  “Are you doing this to fuck with me?”  He asked angrily and Justin took a step back defensively.

“Doing what?” He asked slowly.

“Moving my things around. Fucking with the TV.  Throwing these on the floor.” 

“Brian I was in the studio all morning…” Justin reminded and Brian paused and sighed, knowing that he had been.

“You’re right. I’m sorry it’s just…some weird shit has been happening and I don’t understand it.”  Brian admitted and Justin stepped closer to him and put a soft hand on his arm.

“Weird things are happening to you too?” Justin asked slowly and Brian dipped his head a bit.

“What do you mean?”

“Before you came back I…I mean most of it felt like a dream but things seemed to move around and I didn’t feel like I was alone. But then you came back and it all stopped.” Justin explained softly and bit the inside of his bottom lip. “I thought it was just all in my head – that I was lonely or something. But now…Maybe you shouldn’t go into work today.” Justin suggested and then pressed his body right up against him.  “Stay here and we can relax today. We could both use the break.”  He added.

It felt wrong. It felt different than he remembered. He didn’t understand why. Brian felt like he was being lied to. Justin just didn’t feel right.

“No, I have to go in to drop off those contracts.” He said and then bent and kissed Justin softly.  “I am sorry.”  He repeated, and smiled when Justin waved it off.  “Call me if you need anything.”  He said and Justin nodded and then kissed him once more before he left.

Brian couldn’t concentrate much at work. He kept thinking about all the strange things that had been happening to him – particularly what had happened last night.  Was Justin right and it was all in their heads? Or was something else really going on? He knew he hadn’t been dreaming last night. If his house was haunted, last night It had made it clear that It wanted to show him something.  He could only imagine what.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus on work. He was looking over some new boards that needed his approval and would give his signature in the bottom corner.  He began signing them blindly, not really caring what they looked like.  His mind was too distracted.

Near lunch, he forced himself to get up and go out to the diner.  He sat by himself as no one else from the gang was there; he preferred this, because he didn’t need any of them asking him what was going on.  He didn’t have any answers anyways.  A new waiter was working and Brian got his order in swiftly.  Afterwards, he leaned back in the booth and wondered what the hell was going on at Britin.

Things were moving around, he was hearing voices, he was having strange dreams, and Justin…Justin was just off somehow.  He could try to explain it by their time apart, but it wasn’t only their interactions that were off.  Justin didn’t seem to enjoy any of the same things anymore.

He shook his head as he pondered what to do.  He didn’t pay much attention to the chime of the bell when a new customer walked in.  Not until they walked by his booth.  He looked up and then immediately sat straight up. 

‘Mysterious Marilyn…’  Brian wondered if he should seek her help.  He hadn’t put much stock in anything she ever said, but that was because he thought supernatural events were a bunch of bullshit.  Now, however, he was right in the middle of one.  ‘She was right about Justin when he stole my credit card.’  He added to himself, trying to convince himself that it made sense to ask for her help.

He turned, looked to see where she had sat, sighed lightly, and then stood to approach her.  He didn’t ask for permission to sit – he was Brian Kinney and did what he wanted.  Besides, if something really was wrong with Justin, he would do whatever it took to make it right.

“Can I help you, Brian?”  She asked calmly as she eyed him coolly across the table.

“I don’t know.”  He answered honestly.  “Part of me thinks I’m crazy but…”  He hesitated.  Thinking about ghosts was one thing.  Openly talking about how he thought his house might be haunted was a whole other.

“Go on.”  She urged, now paying a bit more attention.

“Something is wrong with Justin.”  He found himself blurting out.  “He’s so different now.  He doesn’t like any of the same things.  He doesn't talk about the same things.  He doesn’t cook.  He doesn’t laugh at our jokes.  He just stays locked up in his studio all day long.  I barely see him.”  Brian was a bit surprised at how swiftly he admitted to all of that, but it was too late to take it back.

“He was gone for how long?  A little over a year, right?  People change, Brian.”  She answered and waved the waiter over for a fill up on her coffee.

“I know.  I expected that, even.  I knew we were going to have to get used to each other again but this is…different.  Things are moving around by themselves.  Doors are opening and closing and…I can’t explain any of it.”  He told her, crossing his arms over his chest.

Marilyn finally seemed interested, rather than mildly curious.  She leaned over the table a bit closer to him.  “Brian, are you telling me you think your house is haunted?”  She asked and Brian paused, but then nodded.  “And what do you think that has to do with Justin?”

Brian didn’t want to answer.  He didn’t want to say the words aloud.  It seemed too unreal – too beyond the realm of possibility.  But…he had to.  “I don’t think Justin is himself.  I think something happened to him while I was gone.”

Marilyn was quiet for a moment and eyed him intently.  Brian could only wonder what she was thinking.  He doubted she thought he was crazy – she was the expert in all of this anyways.  But maybe she thought he was high, drunk, or simply overreacting to the new situation.  “You mean you think he is possessed by something?”  She decided to ask and Brian sighed and turned his head a little.

“As far as I’m concerned, possessions only happen in movies.  But…something is wrong with him.”  Brian conceded.

“Oh possession is very real, Mr. Kinney.  There are spirits that linger behind, desperate for another chance at life, and willing to do anything it takes to get it back.”  She warned and then took a long sip of the coffee.  “I’d like to visit your home.  As soon as possible.  If Justin has in fact been attacked in some way, we need to move swiftly.  The longer the spirit holds power in the physical realm, the stronger it will be.”

Brian raised his eyebrows, shocked at how swiftly she had believed him.  Suddenly the whole situation seemed far more serious than he thought.  He nodded slowly and watched Marilyn cancel both of their orders and stood.  Brian jerkily followed suit and then led her to his car.  He shot off a quick text to Ted letting him know he wouldn’t be coming back in, and then drove away to Britin.

Marilyn seemed a bit in awe as they walked up to the house from the drive.  She glanced to Brian with a knowing smile.  “I’d heard rumors about the manor you bought him; I think everyone has.  But I didn’t expect it to be this grand.”  She teased and Brian rolled his eyes a bit.

“Let’s focus here.”  He reminded and then moved to open the front door.

“Wait.” Marilyn grabbed his hand to stop him from opening it.  “If a spirit has taken Justin’s body, I want a few moments where we can talk without It hearing us.”  Brian turned to her and lowered his arm.  “You said you had some strange dreams?  Can you describe them for me?”

“I am watching Justin upstairs in the attic.  He’s being attacked but I can’t see by what.  I can’t move or talk…I’m just forced to watch it happen.”  Brian described swiftly, clenching at the dream.  He hated feeling so helpless – it reminded him too much of the bashing.

“Hmmm…”  She murmured as she looked more intently at some of the vines crawling up the front of the manor.  “Have you gone up to the attic yourself?”  She asked and Brian nodded.

“Yeah it was the first thing I did.”

“What did you find?”  She finally turned back to him.

“Nothing.”  He answered with a shrug.

“Nothing at all?  It was empty?”  She seemed doubtful.

“Well no.  I mean, I started looking around, but then Justin came and it was late so we went back to bed.”  Brian explained simply.

“Interesting…”  She murmured and then looked up to the outside of the attic.

“What do you mean?”  He asked with a hint of frustration.

“Justin prevented you from exploring the attic.”  Marilyn explained and Brian went to contradict her, but stopped himself.

He had been directed to something behind the boxes, he remembered.  But as soon as he was going to go see what, Justin had appeared and redirected him downstairs.  Not only that, but he had almost insisted Brian not go back up there. 

‘…Don’t worry about that.  I can take care of everything up there.  You just relax.’

Those were Justin’s exact words.  They had seemed innocent and logical at the time, but it was likely Justin was trying to stop him from seeing something in the attic.

“Yes. He did.”  He agreed and Marilyn nodded a few times.

“That is where I will start, then.”  Marilyn assured and then strode confidently into the manor with Brian following a step behind.  “Make sure Justin doesn’t interrupt me.  Keep him distracted.  I suspect he’ll know as soon as someone is up in the attic.  Stop him.”  She gave him a hard look and then started up the stairs.

Brian remained behind and looked down towards the studio.  He could hear movement inside and knew Justin, or whatever he was, was inside there.  He didn’t move back there, instead, he took off his coat and sat at the base of the stairs.  He placed his elbows on his knees and sighed heavily.  ‘She better be able to fix this.’  He thought determinedly.

The manor was quiet and still, nothing seemed to move and Brian felt that time might have stopped.  It was eerie and strange – he did not like it.  This was not the reunion he had in mind when Justin returned from New York.  They were supposed to spend every free minute fucking each other’s brains out – but they’d only had sex a handful of times since he got back from his business trip.

Suddenly the door to the studio slammed open and Justin came running out, down the hallway, and to the stairs.  Brian stood and stopped him from running up them.  “What’s going on?”  He asked, even though he knew.  Justin, or It, had felt Marilyn upstairs in the attic.

“I want to clean up.”  Justin said swiftly, almost twitching with nerves.  Brian grabbed his shoulders to stop him from going upstairs.

“I want to talk to you.” He said and tried to direct Justin into the nearby living room, but the blond wouldn’t budge.  “I came home from work because I thought you were right this morning.  We could both use a break.  We should relax.  Come on.”  He added and tried again, but still It wouldn’t move.

“Who is upstairs?”  It asked, glaring with a ferocity Brian had never seen in Justin before.  Its eyes were focused on the staircase.

“What do you mean?”  He asked innocently.

“I hear someone.”  It said and tried to go up the stairs again, but Brian kept his hold firm.

“I don’t hear anyone.”  He insisted and Justin struggled to break free of his grasp.

It suddenly turned to him and punched him square in the jaw.  Brian huffed and was thrown slightly, enough to break his hold on It. “Fuck!”  He cursed and lunged out to grab Its ankles as it darted up the stairs.  He managed to get a good enough hold to trip It and It tumbled back down a few.

He wrapped his arms around Its body and dragged him away from the staircase.  With a strength he knew Justin didn’t have, It spun in his hold and then twisted them both until Brian lost his balance and fell to the floor.  It grabbed his head and slammed it once on the hardwood before making another break for the staircase.

Brian was dizzy and everything seemed to be spinning.  He tried to get back up to his feet but had to use the wall for support.  He placed a hand on his head and took a few steps to the staircase before falling over again.  “Shit…”  He cursed lowly and then tried to crawl up the stairs on his hands and knees.

“Brian…”

He paused and looked behind him, where he had heard the whisper coming from.  There was nothing there, of course, but he stopped his ascent and moved back down the stairs.  His head was getting clearer and it became easier to walk.  He knew he should go upstairs and help Marilyn, but he couldn’t tear himself away from finding the source of the voice.  Slowly, the door to the studio creaked open.  Brian walked down the long hallway until he reached it. 

When he stepped into the door he gasped and felt his heart break.  All of Justin’s paintings were destroyed.  Some were ripped to shreds, others had paint splattered on them, and one word written on them over and over.

‘MINE.’

“Holy shit…”  He murmured and then felt a breath on the back of his neck.  He turned slowly and stared at the empty hallway.  “Justin.”  He spoke with confidence.  He could feel something cold against his cheek and closed his eyes.  “I’ll fix this.”  He vowed and then looked up at the ceiling towards the attic.

Brian ran back down the hallway and up the stairs, taking them three at a time.  He made it to the attic stairs and paused.  He looked up into the darkness and then purposefully moved up them.  When he reached the top he turned on the light and withheld a gasp.  In the middle of the cleared area Marilyn lay unconscious.  He wondered if she was dead, but he couldn’t check.  Justin came first.

He looked to the stack of boxes that blocked the view of the rest of the attic, and pushed them aside.  He knew It was up here somewhere.  But many parts of the attic were still dark as the light wasn’t bright enough to illuminate it.

When the boxes were clear he saw a large, antique mirror – identical to the one he’d seen in his dream.  He approached it slowly and with trepidation.  Whatever was going on, he knew this was the cause of it.  As he got closer he could see his reflection begin to morph and change.  He drew his brows together and watched as he got shorter and paler…until Justin stood before him.

“Justin.”  He murmured softly and went to reach out and touch the glass.  However, Justin’s eyes widened and he shook his head swiftly.

“No, don’t!”  He shouted at him and Brian drew his hand back.  “I don’t know what’s going on really, but I know that touching the glass was what started all of this.”

“Are you okay?”  Brian asked and Justin nodded slowly.

“Yes…I’m fine.  It’s strange here but I’m not hurt or anything.  But Brian…I want to come home…”  He murmured and Brian wished he could simply reach in and drag him out.  He looked into Justin’s eyes and felt his heart begin to ache. 

He knew this was his Sunshine by the way Justin looked at him in the mirror.  Even through his sadness he could see the same love and adoration that had been there since that very first night. 

Suddenly Justin frowned and pointed.  “Behind you!”

Brian ducked just in time.  He heard a whoosh of something pass over his head and quickly spun and tackled It to the floor.  He wrestled with it and managed to knock whatever It was holding away.

Hands were at his throat and he found himself on his back with It straddling him.  He struggled to breathe as those hands clung tighter and tighter.  He felt his face getting red from the struggle and his vision began to narrow as oxygen was cut off. 

Refusing to let it end like this, he hooked a leg around Its waist and rolled them over so he was on top.  He pulled back, away from the hands, and managed to get up to his feet.  He fought the urge to try to catch his breath as he knew he wouldn’t have the time.  Instead, he acted immediately.  He latched onto Its middle, pinning Its arms by Its sides before it could attack him again.  He knew he couldn’t really hurt It – Justin was going to need his body - but he’d have to think of something to immobilize it long enough to figure out how to reverse everything that had happened.

“How did you know?!”  It shouted at him in a voice that was definitely not his husband’s.

Brian didn’t answer.  It didn’t matter and he wasn’t going to waste energy on it.  “Why didn’t you just destroy it after you got his body?”  He demanded, realizing that there must have been a significance behind not destroying the mirror.

It didn’t answer him, but Brian didn’t really expect it to.

They continued to struggle and Brian was rammed against the wall, and something sharp in quick succession.  He got the air knocked out of him and he struggled to maintain his hold on It.  He did, though, and moved his gaze over to the mirror.  Justin still stood in the reflection, watching with fear and worry etched on his face. 

Brian wasn’t going to let him down.  Not again.

He grunted as he pressed one foot back against the wall and then lunged forward, pushing It towards the mirror.  It stumbled slightly and tried to catch Its balance.  Brian didn’t let it.  “You didn’t destroy It because you can’t touch it, can you?”  He asked with a smirk.  It tried to move out of the way, but Brian shouldered It right into the mirror.

He watched in shock as It flew backwards into the mirror.  As soon as it touched the glass he could see Justin also falling out of it in the opposite direction.  Justin landed on the floor with a huff and Brian reached for whatever It had swung at him. 

He flinched slightly when he realized it was an old and weathered bat.  He looked to the mirror.  He swung as hard as he could and the glass shattered, falling onto the floor of the attic.  He hit it again for good measure and then bent over and panted, finally letting his body get the air it needed.

Suddenly Justin was in his arms, holding him tightly and placing kisses all over his face.

Brian let the bat fall onto the ground and wrapped his arms around his husband tightly.  It felt right again.

He found Justin’s lips with his own and kissed him deeply.  He ran his hands through his hair and pressed their bodies close together.  When they needed air, they broke apart and smiled at each other.

“Hey.”  Justin whispered and Brian let out a soft laugh.

“Hey.”  He answered as he pressed their foreheads together.

“You’re dense you know that?”  Justin teased and Brian laughed a little bit more.  “I’m serious.  The movie, the files on the floor, the dreams…What does a guy have to do to get through to you?”

“Shut up, Sunshine.”  Brian demanded as he gave him another deep kiss.

“Well this is the most exhilarating experience I’ve ever had.”  Marilyn said with a hint of excitement as she allowed Justin to apply a bandage onto her head from their first-aid kit.

“I’m still not even sure what happened.”  Justin said, shifted back once it was applied to lean against Brian.  They’d been inseparable ever since he was freed from the mirror.

“I suspect the mirror acts as a portal between this realm and the next.  You were dead, Justin.  For all intents and purposes.”  Marilyn explained, causing Brian and Justin to exchange sad glances.  “Your spirit had moved into the realm of the dead through the mirror.  And with your body vacant, the evil spirit took your place.  You touched the mirror, didn’t you?”  She asked knowingly  and Justin nodded slowly.

“Not willingly.  I almost did but then I decided against it and tried to back away.  It fought with me, though, and forced me to touch it after it knocked me out.”  He explained as he leaned back against Brian’s side.  Brian’s arms moved to wrap around him tightly.

“Does that mean the spirit is still here?”  Brian asked with a frown.

“Probably, but it won’t be able to do anything to you without the mirror.  Though, to be safe, I will cleanse the house.  Without the mirror to anchor It, It won’t remain for long.”  She stated confidently and both men were put at ease.  She glanced at them and smiled a little.

“I’ll get started.”  She gave them a wink and then stood and moved out of the living room, leaving them alone.

Brian tightened his hold on Justin but turned his head to the fireplace where the shards of the mirror were melting.  “Sorry it took me so long to realize something was wrong.”  He said softly, his mouth near Justin’s ear.

“You’re a stubborn man, Brian Kinney.  But that’s why I love you.”  Justin turned and pressed a kiss against the side of his mouth.  Justin shifted a bit more and they both looked at the fireplace.

Brian laid his head on top of Justin’s and closed his eyes contently.  “I love you too, Sunshine.”

Brian turned his gaze to the side of the fireplace where the bat leaned against the bricks.  Brian didn’t know what had compelled him to bring it downstairs, but Justin didn’t seem bothered by it.  He thought it should stay there, where they could see it.  It had saved their lives, after all.